So, I’m writing this review and my review of The Cruel Prince by Holly Black at the same time because I read them right after each other, so if you haven’t read that review, it should be posted by now. Go check it out, as well as the holiday recap I wrote and posted as well (hopefully). Anyway, back to this review after that little reminder. I’m here today to talk about my experience reading the BookTok acclaimed, internet sensation Icebreaker by Hannah Grace. Y’all. I have been waiting, hoping, praying for this moment, so let’s get down to business.
We all know that Icebreaker had its IT girl moment on BookTok last year, and its sequel, Wildfire, also did well this year. The third book in the series, Daydream, is coming next year in June, and I bet y’all can tell by how I did my research that I’m currently obsessed with this series and plan to read both Wildire and Daydream, when it drops. That’s how down-bad Ms. Grace has me. I read Icebreaker in 1.5 days (I freaking devoured that book) and had so much fun reliving the good ole days when I could spend a whole day in bed, kicking my feet over fictional men.
A quick recap for my besties who forget or haven’t read Icebreaker yet, the book takes place on another college campus in the US, giving me very much Off-Campus vibes, because I loved that main series. Icebreaker gave a lot of Hannah and Garrett vibes, mainly because Garrett and Nathan, who’s the MMC in Icebreaker, are both captains on their hockey teams. Nathan and Anastasia, who’s a figure skater, are the main duo in Icebreaker, and it follows them as an incident with the hockey team’s ice rink means the team and the figure skaters are going to have to share a rink for the fall semester. This means Anastasia and Nathan will be seeing more of each other, especially as Anastasia warms to Nathan’s charm, the other wonderful guys on the team, and her best friend starts dating Nate’s best friend. All in all, this book’s plot was super fun and fluffy, which is why I loved it just like I loved The Deal with Hannah and Garrett. The vibes and plotline were super similar, but the slight changes made me love Icebreak slightly more.
Anastasia was a tough character, but I did like her and when it got to about page 400 and something and something awful happened to her, I was super angry, just like I was with Hannah and her assault. I never expected it because I always fall in love with the guys (I heart Nathan Hawkins), but the girls in these hockey romances are also super lovable and pull my heartstrings with how devasting their stories are. I loved Anastasia because of that and how tough her goals were, but I also loved Nathan so so much because he was super supportive and always looking out for Anastasia, even when that manifested in a way he needed to change. The way they both make each other better is the kind of relationship we should all be aspiring to from these books—it’s just, chef’s kiss. (Sidenote: The only part of the book that gave me an ick was that Anastasia’s name was shortened to Stassie or Stas, and I think it’s supposed to be pronounced like Stacy, but why? Like, why would you take this ethereal, gorgeous name and shorten it to STACY? For what, Hannah Grace?) (Sidenote Pt. 2: I had a theory spring upon me about midway through when I connected two dots that did not connect in the end at all and thought that Anastasia’s coach, Aubrey, was actually her birth mother, as she had stopped skating because she was pregnant and Anastasia’s adopted. I thought I was on to something, but it never surfaced as true, so…Hannah Grace, please take my theory!)
Like I said before, I read this book super quickly and right after The Cruel Prince, so I could help compare them a little bit when writing their reviews because they’re so different. They kind of encompass the range I love to read; one of them is a hockey romance full of hardcore smut and fluff and all my favorite little things, and the other is a hardcore fantasy full of great worldbuilding, little smut, and lots of attention to detail in regards to plot and story. These two books I loved, probably Icebreaker more, but I think it’s a great mark of a reader that has a wide range of books that they enjoy. Now I just need to get into dark romances! I’m so ready, please recommend!
Genre: fiction, romance (hockey)
Age: 15/16+
Rating: 10/10